The Voice 20 Knockouts: Pia Renee vs Ciana Pelekai for Team Legend (Video)

In the Knockouts, the coaches pair up their artists to sing songs of their own choosing. After the performances the coach picks the winner. The loser is either eliminated, or stolen by a rival coach. Rapper and TV personality Snoop Dogg serves as Mega Mentor for all of the coaches.

Who is Performing on The Voice 20 Week 1 Knockouts? Find Out! (Video)

In the clip, Ciana performs first, singing Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You.” Pia follows her with a soulful rendition of Jackie DeShannon’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”

After the performances, coach Kelly Clarkson calls Pia’s performance beautiful, adding that “It sounded like you loved being that vehicle for that message. That’s my favorite thing when I hear a singer, and you can tell they’ve experienced tragedy or pain.”

And she remarks to Ciana that she picked “a hell of a song to sing,” saying that she though she hit the notes, but that there were “a couple of parts that were pitchy.” However, Kelly attributed that to a lack of air. “I just felt like Pia, yours was really authentic.”

Nick Jonas remarks, “Ciana, you came out swinging. It got turned up to an 11. The verse stuff got kind of lost in that, but I think you’re an exceptional vocalist.” He felt that Pia  “raised the bar” for the competition and made him think he “was listening to Whitney Houston.”

Blake Shelton complimented Ciana for her determination, but felt that Pia won in his book for her “authentic” performance. “It felt like you were in complete control,” he says.

John complimented Ciana saying, “this song is so hard to do,” adding that she “came with your A-game today, and you should be incredibly proud.” And for Pia, he noted that she recently lost her mother and that she managed to “flawlessly deliver the song without getting overwhelmed by emotion” was remarkable.

Who does John choose to move on to the Live Playoffs? Tune in to NBC tonight at 8 pm ET/PT to find out.